The PS3 has so far attracted very little of the huge array of visual novels available on the PS2, and it appears this is for a reason, according to a recent magazine report on the subject.
The three reasons given are these:
1. The title needs to sell over 30,000 copies (visual novels can be lucky to sell 10,000)
2. Some sort of online features are supposed to be included.
3. HD graphics should be supported.
There is certainly a ring of truth to these, especially the first, although there seem to plenty of exceptions to the other “rules.”
Any explanation which does not take into account the lack of these features in other titles, to say nothing of the huge installed base of the PS2 seems incomplete at present…
Via Ore-teki.
I have a HCG of some game pack with 1600×1200 images. They are awesome. I fully support the HD requirement ^^
4. Visual novel developers have enough trouble porting to an Intel PC which runs something other than Windows, let alone a system which uses a completely different architecture.
Omochikaeri:
It may be true that it is difficult, but my case-in-point would be the PSN game Everyday Shooter by Jonathan Mak: a one-man project. Not only was it made for the PS3, but it was also re-made for PSP. Count it on your hand: two architectures! MIPS and PowerPC (PSP and PS3). And… it was originally made for the windows PC (x86).
Difficult? Perhaps. But all you have to do is talk to your local Sony engineer, and you can pretty much straighten anything out.
Couldn’t they just release visual novels on PSN rather than on Blu-ray? If they do, then none of your three rules would apply.
Who cares, you can ‘play’ tons of novels on low-end pc
isn’t MGS4 enough of a visual novel for one console? ehehe